of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



209 



the end of August. The weather, which is a very important factor, 

 was very favourable all through the season. From start to finish the 

 fish caught were of a very satisfactory quality. 



The fishing proceeded with wonderful regularity. Heavy takes were 

 unusual, as there was only one throughout the whole season that 

 exceeded 100 crans. It was chiefly with takes of from 15 to 60 crans 

 that the season's total was built up. 



As there was a keen demand for fish throughout the season, and the 

 quality was satisfactory, prices were wonderfully well maintained. The 

 range was from 5s. to 58s. 6d. per cran. All over, the average was 

 26s. 3d., compared with 23s. 5d. in the previous year. 



To most of those engaged in the industry the season was a remunera- 

 tive one. Fishermen, with few exceptions, had very satisfactory 

 earnings. Certainly they had no reason to grumble at the reward 

 received for the fruits of their labour and enterprise. Steam drifters 

 had gross earnings varying from £800 to £1500, motor boats had from 

 £860 to £1035, and sailers from £300 to £800. 



For a great part of the season a large fleet of over 400 craft operated 

 from Wick, and had the harbour accommodation been greater the fleet 

 would have been much larger still. Were it not that a good many of 

 the Moray Firth crews went home at the week-ends the existing 

 harbour area would have been altogether inadequate. 



With the owners and skippers of steam drifters the port continues to 

 be popular, more particularly in June and July. A good number of 

 those craft, therefore, wrought regularly from the place. The most 

 productive fishing grounds were 18 to 40 miles off from E. by N. to 

 E. by S,, and 60 to 70 miles east. 



For several weeks in the early part of the season the weather 

 conditions were favourable for the sailing craft, enabling them to make 

 trips to and from the fishing grounds daily, and it was interesting to 

 observe how they were for a time successful in competing with the steam- 

 propelled craft. Unfortunately for the crews of the sailers, that 

 position was not maintained after the weather became more unsteady 

 and the fish moved further seawards. 



It would appear as if the winter herring fishing on this coast is to give 

 out altogether. For a number of years past it has been gradually 

 declining, and last year it was practically a failure. Early in the year 

 about a dozen local crews worked for some weeks, but were so unsuc- 

 cessful that its prosecution had to be abandoned. 



Now that the herring fishing is commenced at such an early date upon 

 the East Coast, Scrabster, as a fishing station, is almost completely 

 neglected. As a matter of choice, fishermen prefer working on the 

 East Coast. They require considerable inducement to proceed to the 

 grounds west of the Orkneys, and consequently Scrabster received little 

 other than stray shots from boats making a passage to or from the 

 West Coast. 



The sending of herrings preserved in ice and salt to Hamburg has 

 now been engaged in from this district for three seasons. About 5800 

 crans were disposed of in that manner during the past season, compared 

 with 5175 crans in 1911. Had the value of herrings not reached such 

 a high figure there is little doubt that this branch of the industry would 

 have been further developed. 



So keen was the demand for cured herrings, and so briskly was 

 shipping proceeded with, that by the end of September only a very 

 trifling quantity remained on hand. Of the herrings shipped direct to 

 the Continent, 57 per cent, went to German ports and 43 per cent, to 

 Russia. The quantity despatched to America was probably the 

 greatest that has ever been sent from this district. 



